At the age of nine, oliver was a pale, thin child. he and the other workhouse boys never had enough warm clothes or food. they were given only three meals of thin soup every day. on sundays they had a small piece of bread.
they were fed in a big hall. A large pot stood at one end of the room, and the soup was served by the master. Each boy had on small bowl of soup and no more. The bowls never needed washing, because the boys cleaned them with their spoons until they shone. But there was not enough food. Oliver and the other boys were always hungry, so one day they decided that one boy would walk up to the master after supper and ask for more soup. Oliver was chosen.